Accident
by Ospreywing
Summary: Adopted from tr1xx777. During her final warrior assessment, Sorrelpaw is hit by a twoleg monster- greatly wounding her. At the same time Brackenfur stood by her side, hoping that she would recover. Implied Sorrel/Bracken, set in between Firestar's Quest and Midnight.


**Just a one-shot about Sorreltail when she injured her shoulder on the Thunderpath when she was an apprentice.**

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Accident

Sorrelpaw watched as a brown, withered leaf broke off from its branch and fluttered the ground. It landed on her nose and she playfully batted at it. Hoping that no one saw her, she sat down and wrapped her tail tightly around her paws. Sandstorm wouldn't like it if she acted like a kit. She was fond of her mentor, although she was harsh at times. It was the day of her final assessment, where she and her brothers could finally be warriors.

''Come on Sorrelpaw!'' Sootpaw meowed. ''Our mentors are waiting for us!'' She rose to her paws and followed her brother into the gorse tunnel with Rainpaw at her heels. They emerged from the tunnel into the forest, where three cats awaited them. Brackenfur, Thornclaw's brother was with them.

''Are all of you ready for your final assessments?'' Thornclaw asked. ''You bet we are!'' Sootpaw meowed, his amber eyes bright with excitement. The group of cats was beginning to split up. Sorrelpaw felt something nudge her, and she whirled around to face Sandstorm. ''We should get going,'' she meowed. The tortoiseshell she-cat nodded in agreement.

Sorrelpaw and her mentor vanished into the bracken with Brackenfur on their heels. She was confused by his presence and wanted to ask Sandstorm why he was here, but she knew to wait until they arrived at their destination. The three cats arrived at a grassy clearing. She looked at Sandstorm, and then Brackenfur. ''Sandstorm,'' she asked. ''What's Brackenfur doing here? He's not my mentor.''

The golden-brown tom tilted his head to one side. ''Does it bother you that I'm here?'' he asked. ''I just want to see your final assessment.'' His amber eyes had a strange emotion that Sorrelpaw couldn't comprehend. Her whiskers twitched. Did Brackenfur like her? The tortoiseshell she-cat pushed away her thoughts about the tom. She was an apprentice, she was too young to be thinking about relationships.

''Now Sorrelpaw,'' Sandstorm meowed. ''Show me the hunting skills that I've taught you.'' The tortoiseshell she-cat parted her jaws to taste the air for scents of prey. She flicked one ear and dropped into a crouch. Sandstorm and Brackenfur watched her closely. She crept through the undergrowth with her ears pricked for sounds. The tortoiseshell apprentice made sure she was extremely quiet so she wouldn't alert the prey. Suddenly, she heard a faint rustling and saw a squirrel perched on the root of a beech. Sorrelpaw's eyes fixated on the rodent, and she trailed after it. A withered leaf unexpectedly crunched under her paw, and the squirrel turned its head in the direction of the noise. Subsequently, it raced into the undergrowth. Sorrelpaw pursued it, tearing through the bracken. ''I won't let you get away that easily!'' she declared.

If the tortoiseshell she-cat didn't catch the squirrel, she would fail her warrior assessment. She chased her target through the undergrowth until it vanished, giving way to a huge dark gray stripe that cut through the green grass. It gave off a powerful, sharp odor that was very easy to recognize. The Thunderpath. The squirrel stood at the edge of ThunderClan territory, its eyes wide with fear. Without hesitation, Sorrelpaw followed it.

She dashed onto the Thunderpath, completely oblivious that a monster was racing down it. Its shiny gray pelt glistened in the afternoon sun. In alarm, the squirrel ran away and swiftly climbed up a tree on ShadowClan's side of the Thunderpath. Sorrelpaw suddenly heard Brackenfur's terrified yowl. ''Sorrelpaw!'' he exclaimed, his voice shrill with terror. She heard a sickening crunch, and everything faded to black.

Brackenfur rushed over to the injured she-cat. He was followed by Sandstorm, Thornclaw, Cloudtail, Rainpaw, and Sootpaw. Her tortoiseshell and white fur was stained with blood and her left foreleg was limp. He gently prodded the tortoiseshell she-cat with a paw. A jolt of horror entered Brackenfur as he realized that Sorrelpaw wasn't responding to his touch. Was she dead? He remembered when his sister Cinderpelt had been struck by a Twoleg monster on the Thunderpath. Her leg was permanently damaged and she was forced to become a medicine cat apprentice with Yellowfang as her mentor.

The golden warrior grabbed Sorrelpaw's limp body by her scruff and carefully dragged her body on to the grass. He crouched beside her, grooming her bloody coat. _StarClan, please don't let Sorrelpaw die or suffer the same fate as Cinderpelt. I want her to be a warrior._

Rainpaw and Sootpaw padded towards their wounded sister. ''Is she okay?'' Rainpaw queried. Cloudtail placed a paw on Sorrelpaw's chest. He felt a faint heartbeat beneath her skin, slow yet stable.

''We have to get her to Cinderpelt,'' Thornclaw meowed. ''Come on!'' Brackenfur carefully lifted Sorrelpaw by her scruff. The seven cats left the forest and raced towards ThunderClan camp. They were greeted by Firestar, Brightheart, and Bramblelcaw.

The ginger tomcat gazed intently at the broken body of the young she-cat. His fur bristled with apprehension and his green eyes widened with shock. The horrible memories of finding Cinderpelt's body on the Thunderpath were coming back to him. Finally, he spoke.

''What happened to her?'' he asked.

''Sorrelpaw was hit by a monster during her warrior assessment,'' Sandstorm replied. ''She's badly injured.'' Firestar turned his head and rested his green gaze on Brightheart. ''Fetch Cinderpelt,'' he ordered. Without hesitation, she raced off from the group of cats towards the medicine cats den. Moments later, Brightheart appeared with a dark gray she-cat. She hobbled towards the wounded apprentice as quickly as her paws could carry her.

''Oh StarClan,'' she murmured, her blue eyes widened in horror. She looked at Thornclaw, who had carried her body back to camp. ''Bring her to me.'' Brackenfur followed his brother into their sister's den, where Thornclaw carefully set Sorrelpaw down on a bed of moss and bracken. As Cinderpelt gathered the herbs to treat her wounds, Brackenfur crouched beside the tortoiseshell she-cat. To his own surprise, he was laying down next to her, breathing in her scent.

_Stay with me Sorrelpaw._

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**Yay, it's finally done! Sorry it took so long, I was busy with Ashfur's Redemption. I love Sorrel/Bracken, and I always wanted to write something about them. Reviews are always welcomed!**

**-Ragnarok**


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